French Nun Goes Viral After What She Did To Protestor
An intense clash between a group of nuns and environmental protesters in a small village in France has gone viral on social media over the weekend. The incident occurred on Saturday, when activists from the eco-group Les Amis de la Bourges attempted to protest the construction of a new religious complex in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier.
The construction of the complex has been met with strong resistance from various environmental organizations since it began in December 2018. The project, which includes plans to build a basilica that can hold up to 3,500 people, has been viewed as a threat to several rare plant species in the area.
According to Les Amis de la Bourges, the construction site is home to the reseda of jackfruit, a species protected by the French Biodiversity Office. They claim that the construction has not obtained the necessary environmental authorizations and could potentially destroy the habitats of these protected species.
Énorme ! La bonne sœur qui plaque un écologiste… du grand spectacle en Ardèche où des religieuses défendent le chantier d’un futur centre religieux face aux militants qui bloquent à cause de l’impact sur l’environnement.
@ferro_nicolas
☝️plaquage non réglementaire pic.twitter.com/3wSyO7s3LO— Léo Chapuis (@leo_chapuis) October 16, 2023
Members of the group attempted to stop the construction by forming a human chain around the site. However, tensions escalated when a group of nuns from the Missionary Family of Notre-Dame, the organization behind the construction, confronted the protesters.
In a now-viral video, a French nun can be seen tackling a protester to the ground while other activists stomp on building materials. The confrontation lasted for several minutes before the nuns resumed a more peaceful stance, singing while blocking the surrounding protesters.
Sylvain Hérenguel, co-president of the association for the future of the Bourges Valley, expressed his surprise at the nuns' use of violence. "I didn’t expect that," he told France 3. "The problem is that the religious people decided to resort to violence. They do not have authorization to destroy the habitats of protected species."
Les Amis de la Bourges, along with other environmental groups, are calling for the construction to be suspended until all necessary environmental authorizations have been obtained. They also condemn the aggressive behavior of the nuns and the Missionary Family of Notre-Dame.
"This is an arrogant project for a religious community," the group stated. "Even the bishop and the Vatican do not approve a project of this size."
Construction on the complex was initially halted in October 2020 due to protests, but resumed in 2022 after additional environmental studies were conducted. The project has faced significant backlash from environmentalists, with activists even setting up a Zone to Defend (ZAD) around the construction site in June 2020.
The clash between the nuns and activists has sparked a heated debate on social media, with many condemning the use of violence and the lack of respect for the environment. The incident highlights the ongoing tension between the preservation of natural habitats and the construction of religious structures.
Despite the controversy, the construction of the religious complex is expected to continue. The Missionary Family of Notre-Dame has yet to release a statement regarding the incident.